A Rose between two thorns
by purplepenguin13
Summary: Four months after the tragic car accident that killed their parents,Clara Stewart and her younger brother, Jeremy are still trying to move on with their lives. Clara is fascinated by a handsome and mysterious new student, unknowing of what he really is.
1. Character info

**A Rose between two thorns **

**A 'Vampire Diaries' Fan-fiction Character Information**

**Name:** Clara Stewart  
><strong>Nickname<strong>: Lara  
><strong>Age:<strong> 17  
><strong>Status:<strong> Human  
><strong>Looks<strong>: Brown hair and brown eyes  
><strong>Portrayed by<strong>: Victoria Justice  
><strong>Personality<strong>: Caring/loving, smart, sweet, kind and a true friend  
><strong>Bio:<strong> Clara is a normal high school girl, who is going through the loss of her parents, along with her younger brother Jeremy. She is living with her Aunt Jenna and her brother Jeremy now, while her cousin Jacob is away at college. Her best friends are Elena Gilbert, Bonnie Bennett and Caroline Forbes.

**Name:** Elena Gilbert  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Lena  
><strong>Age:<strong> 17  
><strong>Status:<strong> Human  
><strong>Looks:<strong> Brown hair and brown eyes  
><strong>Portrayed by:<strong> Nina dobrev  
><strong>Personality:<strong> Caring, sweet, smart and understanding  
><strong>Bio:<strong> Elena is an only child and lost her parent in a house fire when she and the other girls (Clara, Bonnie & Caroline) were 10. She lives with her Aunt Judith. She is dating Clara's older cousin Jacob. Other than that her Bio is pretty much the same as the show.

**Name:** Stefan Salvatore  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Doesn't have one  
><strong>Age:<strong> Looks 17 (Real Age: 162)  
><strong>Status:<strong> Vampire  
><strong>Looks:<strong> Sandy brown hair and green eyes  
><strong>Portrayed by:<strong> Paul Wesley  
><strong>Personality:<strong> Loving/caring, protective, smart  
><strong>Bio:<strong> Same as the show

**Name:** Damon Salvatore  
><strong>Nickname:<strong> Doesn't have one  
><strong>Age:<strong> Looks 20 ( Real Age: 166  
><strong>Status:<strong> Vampire  
><strong>Looks:<strong> Darks brown hair and blue eyes  
><strong>Portrayed by:<strong> Ian Somerhalder  
><strong>Personality:<strong> Cocky, Sarcastic, Can be caring at times  
><strong>Bio:<strong> Same as the show

**Other Characters**

Jeremy Stewart (Clara's brother)

Jenna Sommers (Clara's aunt)

Jacob Sommers (Clara's cousin, on her mother's side. He is the son of Jane-Jenna & Diana's sister- and Rex who passed away a few years earlier. He lived with Diana and Max after they passed)

Bonnie Bennett

Caroline Forbes

Matt Donovan

Tyler Lockwood

Vicki Donovan

Alaric Saltzman

Nikolett Pierce (Nikolina Petrova)

Katherine Pierce (Katerina Petrova)

**(Recurring)**

Logan Fell

John Stewart (Uncle john-Clara's uncle)

Isobel Flemming/Saltzman

Pearl & Anna

Tomb Vampires

Carol Lockwood

Elizabeth 'Liz' Forbes


	2. Pilot

**Pilot**

_For over a century, I have lived in secret; hiding in the shadows, alone in the world. Until now. I am a vampire. And this is my story._

_I shouldn't have come home. I know the risk. But I have to know her._

**(Clara's Pov)**

_Dear diary, today will be different. It has to be. I will smile, and it will be believable. My smile will say "I'm fine, thank you" "Yes I feel much better."_

I looked up from my diary and made my way towards my mirror. Looking at all of the pictures of what was once my family hanging beside the mirror.

_I will no longer be the sad little girl who lost her parents. I will start the day fresh, be someone new. It's the only way I'll make it through._

I let out a deep breath and made my way downstairs and into the kitchen, where Aunt Jenna was raiding the fridge.

"Toast. I can make toast." She stated looking back at me.

"It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna." I said, whilst pouring myself a cup of freshly boiled coffee.

"Is there coffee?" My younger brother Jeremy asked, coming up behind me and taking the cup of coffee that I had just poured out of my hands.

"You're first day of school and I'm totally unprepared. Lunch money?" She held out a couple of dollars for one of us to take.

"I'm good." I breathed out, I was now pouring myself a new cup of coffee since Jeremy had abducted my previous cup.

"Anything else? A number 2 pencil? What am I missing?" She asked, turning to face the two of us.

"Don't you have a big presentation today?" I questioned her.

"I'm meeting with my thesis advisor at..." She looked at the watch on her wrist, frowned, then continued."...now. Crap."

"Then go. We'll be fine." I reassured her with a slight smile.

She smiled at me then headed out the front door. I turned to Jeremy with a soft look on my face.

"You okay?" I asked.

He sighed and shook his head at me. "Don't start." He sighed again."First Jacob now you." He said as he walked past me.

"Wait! Jake called?" I shouted after him but he didn't respond. I turned back to the table and took a sip of my coffee. Jake was my older cousin. He was starting his first year of college this year, and was still dating one of my best friends Elena.

* * *

><p>We were now on our way to school. When I say 'we' I mean myself and two of my best friends – Elena Gilbert and Bonnie Bennett. We were in Bonnie's car, I was in the passenger seat and Elena was in the back while Bonnie was driving.<p>

"So Grams is telling me I'm psychic." I gave her a look. Psychic? "Our ancestors were from Salem, witches and all that," Elena and I shared a glance at each other, which Bonnie caught. "I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it, and I'm like 'put this woman in a home already'!" We were now driving past Mystic Falls cemetery and I couldn't pull myself away from looking at it, all the memories came flooding back. "But I started thinking, I predicted Obama, and I predicted Heath Ledger. And I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands."

Bonnie paused and looked over at her best friend, "Clara, back in the car." She grinned at me.

"I did it again, didn't I? I said looking between the other two girls in the car. "I-I'm sorry Bonnie, Elena."

Elena smiled at me, "It gets easier." She said to me. If anyone knew what I was going through it was Elena. She lost her parents in a house fire when we were ten. Her Aunt Judith flew in from New York to look after her, she was an only child but always felt like a sister to me but then again so did Bonnie and Caroline.

"You were telling me that..." I was about to finish the sentence when Elena cut me off.

"That she's psychic now." She exclaimed with a grin on her face.

"Right," I giggled "Okay, then predict something. About me."

She sighed dramatically before smirking, "I see..."

She was cut off by some sort of black bird hitting the windscreen, causing the car to swerve off to the side of the road and stop there. The three of us lets screams and shrieks and we were breathing heavily. I was still in shock, I could hardly move.

"What was that?" Bonnie asked in a panicked tone.

"Oh, my god" Elena breathed out.

"Clara, are you okay?" They both asked me.

"It's okay. I'm fine." I said slowly almost as if to myself.

"It was like a bird or something." Stated Elena.

Bonnie nodded in agreement, "It came out of nowhere."

"Really, I can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of my life." I assured them, Elena put her hand on my shoulder to comfort me. I patted her hand gently as a kind of 'thank you'. They both nodded the Bonnie sent a gentle smile towards me.

"I predict this year is going to be kick-ass. And I predict that all the sad and dark times are over. And you are going to be beyond happy."

What she said to me made me smile. A real smile, something that I hadn't done in awhile. The three of us grinned at each other before starting the car again and continuing are way to prison...aka school.

* * *

><p>I was now walking down the halls of Mystic Falls High with Bonnie and Elena at each of my sides.<p>

"Major lack of male real estate." Bonnie stated as she looked around the hallway.

"Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beech." Elena noted, causing me and Bonnie to laugh, but giving a second glance a Kelly her dress kind of did look like a shower curtain.

"She looks a hot—can I still say 'Trannie mess'?" Bonnie asked as we reached her locker.

"No, that's over" I said as I leaned on the locker beside hers.

"Ugh. Find a man and coin a phrase. It's a busy year." As she said this something over my shoulder caught her attention. Elena and I turned to see just what it was.

There stood Matt Donovan -aka my ex-boyfriend- at his locker. I gave a small wave towards him as he glared at me but he soon turned away after getting a book from his locker and walked in the opposite direction from us.

I sighed "He hates me." I complained to the two girls before me. Elena wrapped one of her arms around my shoulders and I let my head rest on her left shoulder.

"That's not hate. That's 'You dumped me, but I'm too cool to show it..."

"But secretly I'm listening to Air Supply's greatest hits." Bonnie finished for her.

I was about to say something when my blond cheerleader of a best friend interrupted me.

"Clara!" Caroline called me "Oh, my God." She cooed me as she pulled me into a bone crushing hug. I patted her back as she hugged me, glancing at Elena and Bonnie over her shoulder they shrugged and smirked at me.

"How are you?" She inquired as she pulled back from the hug, but didn't give me time to answer because she cut me off again.

"Oh, it's so good to see you." She then look towards Bonnie and Elena.

"How is she? Is she good?" She questioned the two girls and completely ignored me.

"Caroline, I'm right here." I said a slightly annoyed, but quickly covered it up. "And I'm fine, thank you." I smiled at my blond friend.

"Really?"

"Yes. Much better." I assured her.

"Oh, you poor thing." She said as she pulled me into another one of her death gripping hugs.

Slightly out of breath, I managed to choke out "Okay...Caroline."

She sighed as she pulled away from the hug. "Oh! Okay, see you guys later?" she asked looking between Bonnie, Elena and myself.

"Okay." Bonnie breathed, while Elena and I nodded at her. She clasped her hands together then turned away from us and made her way down the hall.

I looked at Bonnie and then Elena and sighed.

"No comment." I warned.

Bonnie put her hands up in defeat while Elena laughed at me.

"I wasn't going to say anything." Bonnie defended herself.

And with that said we made our way to class. We decided to take the long route to class because we still had time to spare before the bell rang.

"Hold up. Who's this?" Asked Bonnie as she pulled us to a stop outside the office.

Looking into the office I saw a young man about my age. But I couldn't see his face due to the fact that his back was turned towards us, he was saying something to the secretary.

"All I see is back" Elena said stating the obvious.

"It's a hot back." Elena and I exchanged looks each other and rolled our eyes at her response.

"I'm sensing Seattle, and he plays the guitar." Bonnie said still staring at the guy.

"You're really going to run this whole psychic thing into the ground, huh?" I asked turning to face her, trying to hold back my laughter.

"Pretty much." I laughed at her causing her to giggle as well. But this quickly stopped as I saw Jeremy heading into the men's room and he didn't look too good.

"I'll be right back." I said with me teeth clenched together.

"Where are you going?" Elena called after me.

I ignored her and only just heard Bonnie mutter 'please be hot'. I would of laughed if the situation was different.

* * *

><p>I stormed into the bathroom after my brother and bumped into some dude just coming out of a cubical. Jeremy was standing in front of the mirror putting drops into his eyes.<p>

"Whoa! Next down, chick." He said to me as he left the bathroom but I choose to ignore him for the greater good. I grabbed Jeremy's face and turned it left and right to look in each of his eyes.

"Great. It's the first day of school, and your stoned." I lectured him.

"No, I'm not." He said trying to brush it off as if it were nothing. He broke eye contact with me for obvious reasons.

"Where is it? Is it on you?" I questioned while searching him.

"Stop, all right? You need to chill yourself, all right?" He said throwing my hands off him lightly.

"Chill myself? What is that, stoner talk? Dude you are so cool." I mimicked in a deeper voice.

"Look, stop! I don't have anything on me. Are you crazy?" He growled at me, getting annoyed.

"You haven't seen crazy, Jeremy. I gave you a summer pass, but I am done watching you destroy yourself." He tried to leave but I pushed him back down onto the sink. "No, no, no, you know what? Go ahead. Keep it up. But just know that I am going to be there to ruin your buzz every time, you got it?" I told him seriously.

A toilet flushed and out walked a boy Jeremy's age. I wonder how much of that he heard. I let out a sigh and looked back at Jeremy now that the boy was gone.

"Jeremy, I know who you are. And it's not this person. So don't be this person." I pleaded with him.

"I don't need this..." He simply said and walked past me out of the bathroom door.

I just stood there, trying to take everything that just happened in.

* * *

><p>"Thank you." The man at the office said to the secretary.<p>

"You're welcome." Mrs. Clarke said back to him.

Bonnie and Elena watched the new guy as he came out of the office and their eyes grew wide with shock. He walked down the hallway and towards the men's bathroom. Caroline glanced up from her mobile phone and she too became wide eyed staring at the new guy. Her eyes following after him as he continued on.

Pissed is nowhere near compared to how I feel right now. How can he have the decency to just walk out of here like nothing's happened? I made my way out of the men's bathroom to try and follow him. Flinging the bathroom door open I bumped into something hard.

"Uh-Pardon me." A deep voice said politely causing me to look up at who I bumped into. I stared at him, lost for words as I looked into his green eyes.

"Um...Is this the men's room?" He asked noticing that I wasn't talking.

"Oh, yes. I was just...Um-I was just..." I stammered out, letting out a breath I continued, "It's a long story."

He smiled at me and I just couldn't help but to smile back. I took a step to the right as he took a step to the left when I was about to walk away, causing us to stop in front of each other. Then I took another step to the left this time and he took one to the right. We both let out small laughs. He moved to one side to let me past him and I looked down and blushed.

"...Thank you." I said quietly and passed him.

I looked back at him as I rounded the corner of the hallway to see him looking back at me. Maybe today is going to be better than I thought.

* * *

><p>"Once our home state of Virginia joined confederacy in 1861...it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state." Mr. Tanner droned on, counting sheep would be more fun than history class.<p>

I glanced over my right shoulder and saw Matt looking at me with sad eyes- as if I didn't feel guilty enough- so I turned back to Mr. Tanner trying to focus on what he was saying even though it was boring me to death.

"People in Virginia's northeast had different ideas from those of the traditional deep south." He continued.

I looked over my shoulder slowly trying not to make it too obvious and looked at the new guy. He turned his head towards me and I quickly looked away blushing.

My phone vibrated in my pocket making me jump, no one seemed to notice though. I took it out to read the message under my desk.

**Bonnie (mobile) Sep 7, 2009 9:39:00 Am HAWT-E STARING U**

I smiled and shook my head lightly. I leaned forward and rested my head on the palm of my hand, letting my hair fall over my shoulder, the smile still on my face.

* * *

><p>School was a bore but it finally finished. I told Bonnie and Elena that I was gonna walk home, that I needed more fresh air and all that jazz. But I still think they knew where I was really going, they might not have said it but they didn't have to, their looks spoke for them- the looks of sympathy.<p>

I held my diary and the white lily I bought close to me as I walked through the gates of Mystic Falls cemetery. A bird cawed behind me but when I looked back there was nothing there so I shrugged it off and continued on.

I passed many graves until I found the one I was searching for.

* * *

><p>I was sitting on the ground, my back leaning against a grave stone while I was writing in my journal.<p>

_Dear diary, I barely made it through the day. I must have said, "I'm fine, thanks" at least37 times. And I didn't mean it once. But no one noticed._

I looked up from my journal and at my parents' gravestone that read;

**In Memory**

**Max Stewart Diana Sommers-Stewart**

**May 28 2009**

**Loving Parents**

_When someone asks, "how are you?" they really don't want an answer._

A crow flew by and landed on top of their gravestone and began cawing at me. I finally looked up at it because it continued to do so repeatedly.

"Okay. Hi, Bird." I waved at it.

"That's not creepy or anything." I muttered under my breath.

Fog started to rise around me and the crow continued to caw. I was becoming a little frightened, I mean wouldn't you if you were alone in a cemetery with fog appearing out of nowhere and a strange bird that wouldn't stop squawking at you?

"Shoo!" I waved my hand at the crow and it flew away from my parents gravestone.

"That's what I thought..." I said to myself.

Turning around I came face-to-face with the same crow. It cawed again and I jumped back in fear. Slowly bending towards the ground I picked up my bag, my eyes never leaving the crows. I started to jog in the opposite direction from the crow. Turning back I saw a dark figure move behind a gravestone.

My instincts told me to run and that's just what I did. I had a horrible feeling in my stomach that if I stayed there any longer something bad would happen.

I ran down the old, muddy pathway that lead to the older part of the cemetery. My foot caught on a root causing me to trip and fall, landing next to an old looking tree that was slightly slanted. I stood up, slowly, moving backwards it felt as if someone was behind me. I quickly spun around.

My breath caught in my throat when I saw who it was.

"You okay?" He asked in a concerned tone of voice.

I sighed in relief and finally found my voice.

"Were you following me?" I asked worriedly.

"No, I just—I saw you fall." He explained to me.

"Uh-huh. And you just happened to be hanging out in a cemetery." I stated.

"I'm visiting; I have, uh, family here." Way to put your foot in your mouth Clara! I mentally scolded myself.

"Oh. Wow, tactless. I'm sorry. It's the fog. It's making me foggy. Then back there," I pointed over my shoulder. "There was this bird. And it was all very Hitchcock for a second. That is the bird movie, right? The Hitchcock?" I rambled on.

He had an amused look on his face. Oh god, he probably thinks I'm a mad-woman rambling on like this! Say something useful Clara!

"I'm Clara." I smiled, well that's a start.

"I'm Stefan."

"I know. We have history together." I smiled sheepishly.

"And English and French." He smiled back

"Right."

He slowly reached forward and took a left out of my hair, that had got ton stuck there from where I must have fell.

I could feel the heat as it rushed to my cheeks and my heart was going at a thousand beats a minute.

"Thanks." I think I went about 40 shades of red at that moment in time.

There was a comfortable silence between us for a few seconds, when I noticed something on his right hand.

"Nice ring."

"Oh. Um... it's a family ring. Yeah kind of stuck with it."

It sounded as if there was another meaning to the sentence by the way he said it.

"It's weird, huh?" He asked.

"No. It's just—I mean, there are rings, and then there's that."

He smiled, then looked down and frowned. I'm slightly confused, did I say something?

Then he spoke, "Did you hurt yourself?"

"Hmm?" I was pulled away from my thoughts and back into reality.

"Did you hurt yourself?" He repeated.

"Oh, uh...I don't know." I walked over to an old gravestone that wasn't too high up and put my left foot on top of it. I rolled up my trouser leg and flinched at what I saw.

"Oh, would you look at that." I hat cut myself in the leg. The blood was trickling down my leg. How could I have not felt that?

"That is not pretty." Glancing up at Stefan only to see that his back was facing me, like it was this morning when I saw him in the office.

"You okay?" I asked.

"You should go. Take care of that."

"Really, it's nothing." I insisted while rolling my trouser leg back down. But when I looked up he was gone. It was like he vanished into thin air. I searched the shadows of the cemetery confused.

* * *

><p><em>I lost control today. Everything I've kept burie<em>_d inside_ _came rushing to the surface. I am simply not able to resist her._

* * *

><p>"I'm meeting Bonnie and Elena at the Grill." I said as Aunt Jenna and I passed each other in the hall.<p>

"Okay, have fun—Wait I got this." I stopped to look back at her. "Don't stay out wait. It's a school night." She ordered with her hands now placed on her hips. I couldn't help but laugh at that one.

"Well done, Aunt Jenna." I applauded.

I shook my head and went to the front door. As I opened it there stood Stefan Salvatore. I was shocked; a small gasp escaped my throat.

"Oh."

"Sorry. I was about to knock...I wanted to apologise for my disappearing act earlier. I know it was strange."

"No worries. I get it, blood makes you squeamish."

"Something like that." He nodded his head in agreement.

"How's your leg?" he asked gesturing to my leg.

"Oh, it's fine. Just a scratch, barely." I said with a smile, but a question seemed to linger in my mind.

"How did you know where I lived?" I asked slightly confused.

"It's a small town. I asked the first person I saw."

I nodded at his answer. I guess that made sense.

"I thought you might want this back." He said as he reached behind him and pulled out my red journal.

"I must have dropped it. I—thank you." I said while turning the journal around in my hands.

"Don't worry. I didn't read it."

"No?" I let out a sigh of relief. "Why not? Most people would have."

"Well I wouldn't want anyone to read mine."

"You keep a journal?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah, if I don't write it down, I forget it. Memories are too important."

"Yeah..." I breathed out agreeing with him. "I'm just gonna...You don't have to stay out there." I said as I went to put my diary in the sitting room.

"I'm fine." I heard him say.

I poked my head around the corner of the door.

"Sorry, were you going somewhere?"

I nodded "Yeah, I'm meeting some friends. Do you wanna come?" I asked hoping he would say yes.

* * *

><p>I walked into the grill, pushing the large door open I found everyone staring but it wasn't just me they were staring at. It was also in fact Stefan Salvatore beside me.<p>

From the corner of my eye I saw Matt approach us so I turned towards him

"Hey, I'm Matt. Nice to meet you." He greeted as he shook Stefan's hand.

"Hi, Stefan." He introduced himself.

Matt looked over to me.

"Hey." I said with a smile.

"Hey." He replied in a sad tone and turned away from me like I was infected. A flush of guilt ran through me right then and there.

* * *

><p>"So you were born in Mystic falls?" Caroline questioned Stefan as we were all sat around one of the tables in the Grill. Well all of us except Tyler and Matt.<p>

"Mm-hmm...and I moved when I was still young."

"Parents?" Elena piped in.

"My parents passed away when I was younger."

"I'm sorry." I said when he looked towards me. "Um...any siblings?"

"None that I talk to. I live with my uncle."

"So, Stefan, if your new, then you don't know about the party tomorrow." Caroline flirted.

"It's a back to school thing at the falls." Elena explained.

"Are you going?" He asked me.

"Of course she is." Bonnie answered for me with a small secretive smile on her face. This made me blush even harder. I looked down at the table then back to Stefan.

**(History Class the following day – September 8- Clara's Pov)**

"The battle of willow creek took place right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted in this battle? Ms. Bennett?"

Bonnie thought for a minute, "Um…a lot? I'm not sure. Like a whole lot." Mr. Tanner gave her a sarcastic smile.

"Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Ms. Bennett." He told her.

He looked at Matt, "Mr. Donovan. Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?"

Matt shrugged and smiled "Its ok, Mr Tanner, I'm cool with it." He assured causing myself and the rest of the class to chuckle.

Mr. Tanner looked around the classroom. "Hmm. Clara?" I looked at him, somewhat shocked that he called on me, "Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most significantly historical events?"

"I'm sorry, I-I don't know." I stuttered out.

"I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Clara. But the personal excuses ended with summer break." I nodded as I let my eyes fall to the desk.

"There were 346 casualties, Unless you're counting local civilians." A voice behind me said.

"That's correct Mr..."

"Salvatore."

"Salvatore." Mr. Tanner repeated, "Any relation to the original settlers here at mystic falls?"

"Distant." Stefan plainly answered.

"Well, very good. Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle." Mr. Tanner said with a matter-of-fact tone.

Stefan sat up and with a serious voice said, "Actually, there were 27, sir." This caught my attention."Confederate soldiers, they fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons. They were wrong. It was a night of great loss. The founder's archives are, uh, stored in civil hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts. Mr. Tanner." I snickered with the rest of the class. No one had stood up to Tanner like that before, 'bout time someone did.

"Hmm." Was the only thing he could say his face showed shock all over.

* * *

><p>"Just admit it, Clara" Bonnie pushes me to admit it.<p>

"Oh, ok, so he's a little pretty." I admitted.

"He has that romance novel stare." Elena giggled out.

"Stefan looked deep into her eyes, piercing her very soul." Bonnie mocked and the three of us laughed.

"So where is he?" Elena asked me, we were standing by the bonfire talking about Stefan.

I shrugged "I don't know. You tell me, you're the psychic one."

"Right, I forgot. Okay, so give me a sec. Grams says I have to concentrate." Bonnie declared closing her eyes.

"Wait, you need a crystal ball. All psychic's have crystal balls."

We all looked round-well Elena and I did-for one, when Elena came up with some fast thinking.

"Uh-...Ta-da!" She produced a beer bottle in her hand.

"Perfect!" I exclaimed as I took the bottle from her hands and out for Bonnie to take. As she placed her hand on the bottle her face grew blank. Elena sent me a confused look and I shrugged my shoulders at her, I didn't know what to do.

"What?" Asked a curious Elena.

"That was weird. When I touched you, I saw a crow."

"What?"

"A crow. There was fog, a man…" There was no way in hell this was happening.

"I'm drunk. It's the drinking. There's nothing psychic about it." She took the bottle away from me and into her own hands.

"Yeah? Okay, I'm gonna get a refill." She hurried off from Elena and I.

"Okay, what just happened?" A confused Elena questioned.

"I have no idea. Bonnie!"

"Bonnie!" We shouted after her but she didn't listen and continued to walk away from us. We turned around to find another surprised.

"Hi." He smiled.

I chuckled "Hi." He somehow keeps sneaking up on me like that.

"You know what? I just might go find Bonnie and get a refill myself." As Elena walked away she mouthed 'Go for it' at me and winked.

Stefan smiled, "I did it again, didn't it?"

I nodded "Yeah."

"I'm sorry." Whenever I was around him I couldn't help but smile but then I remembered Bonnie and what just happened and my smile faded.

"You're upset about something."

"Oh, uh...no, it's Bonnie. She's... You know what? Never mind. You're…here." I smiled at him.

"I'm here." After saying that we just stared into each other's eyes and I never wanted to look away.

* * *

><p>Stefan and I were strolling through the woods and now out to falls bridge-cliché of a name, right? It was easy to keep up a conversation with him. I felt as if I could tell him anything.<p>

"You know, you're kind of the talk of the town."

Stefan chuckled, "Am I?"

"Mm-Hmm. Mysterious new guy, oh, yeah." I looked over at him and he was looking down.

"Well, you have the mysterious thing going, too. Twinged in sadness."

"What makes you think that I'm sad?"

Stefan shrugged, "Well, we did meet in a graveyard…"

"Right." He had me there-wait! "Well, no...technically we met in the men's room." We laughed at this. Then I shook my head, "You don't want to know, it's not exactly party chit-Chat."

"Well, I've never really been very good at, uh…Chit-chat?" He confessed.

"Last spring... My parents' car drove off of a bridge into the lake. And I was in the backseat and I survived, but... They didn't." I told him as we were walking over the bridge. "So that's my story."

He stooped walking so I turned around to see what was wrong.

"You won't be sad forever, Clara."

* * *

><p>We were still on Falls bridge, leaning against the railings talking to each other.<p>

"I like Bonnie and Elena they seem like good friends."

"Bestest friends in the world."

"And Matt? He can't seem to, um, take his eyes off of us" I looked back, Matt, Caroline, Elena and Bonnie were standing on the lower of the two 'Falls bridges'. And it was true Matt was staring at us.

"Matt's that friend since childhood that you start dating because you owe it to yourselves to see if you can be more."

He nodded, "And?"

"And then my parents died, and everything changes. Anyway, Matt and I, together we just...I don't know, It wasn't, um... It wasn't…" I couldn't think of the word to describe it. But the word didn't come out of my mouth, instead it came out of Stefan's.

"Passionate."

"No...No, it wasn't passionate." I looked into his eyes and it looked like red veins were starting to pop out under them.

"Hey, are you ok? Um, Your eyes, it just-it's…"

"Oh. Um..." He rubbed his eyes as he looked away from me.

"Oh, um...Yeah. No, it's nothing. Are you thirsty? I'm gonna get us a drink." He said walking off to the main area of the party.

* * *

><p>I was back at the centre of the party near the bonfire looking for Stefan. When Matt approached me after seeing I was alone.<p>

"Looking for someone?"

"Hey." I said softly.

"When you broke up with me, you said it was because you needed some time alone. You don't look so alone to me."

"Matt, you don't understand. It's…"

Matt cut me off, "That's ok, Clara. You do what you have to do. I just want to let you know that... I still believe in us. And I'm not giving up on that." He started to walk away,

"Matt…"

* * *

><p>I was sitting on one of the railings to the wooden gazebo. I think that's what they call it, as Stefan came towards me, leaving a disappointed looking Caroline behind.<p>

"I was wondering who abducted you, but now I know." I laughed as he looked down then back up at me with a smile on his face.

"Is she like that with all the guys?"

"No. You're fresh meat. She'll back off eventually." I explained. Over his shoulder I saw a drunk Jeremy stumble into the woods. Just my luck.

"Oh, God, you've gotta be kidding me!"

Stefan looked startled, "What is it?"

"My brother."

"The drunk one?"

"That would be the one." I said getting down off the railing to follow him. "Excuse me."

"You need some help?" He offered.

"Trust me, you're not going to want to witness this. Jeremy!" I shouted into the forest as I followed the path he was taking.

"Jeremy!" I saw him "Jeremy, where the hell are you going?" I yelled after him

"I don't want to hear it!" He said to me getting annoyed, as he turned round he tripped over something. He landed on Vicki Donovan's-Matt's older sister-unmoving body. Her throat was all bloody and torn out.

"Vicki? No! Oh, my god, it's Vicki!" He said panicked as he got of the body.

I ran a hand through my hair, "Oh my God!" I breathed

"No." He was about to check for a pulse, when she leant forward and gasped.

"Somebody help!" I shouted as me and Jeremy carried Vicki's body back to the party.

"Vicki? Vicki, what the hell?" Matt yelled rushing over to us. Elena, Bonnie and Tyler ran over to help us. We laid her down on one of the picnic tables.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked.

"Call an ambulance!" Elena ordered the crowd that was watching us.

"Everybody back up. Give her some space!" I heard Tyler say as he was forcing the crowd around us back.

"It's her neck. Something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood!" I cried.

"Vicki, come on, open your eyes. Look at me." Matt pleaded.

**(3****rd**** persons Pov)**

Stefan arrived home at the boarding house after running from the party where Vicki was attacked. He saw Zach sitting at the table as he rushed into the house.

"What's going on?" He asked curiously.

"Someone else was attacked tonight, Zach, and it wasn't me." He didn't give Zach time to reply, instead he hurried upstairs and into his bedroom. He heard a caw coming from his open balcony doors. He turned to see a crow upon the balcony staring right back at him. The bird flew across the room and landed on a ceiling beam. Stefan slowly turned back around to where his balcony doors were. He was greeted by a man standing in the doorway dressed in all black.

"Damon." Stefan said.

"...Hello brother." Damon smirked at Stefan.

"Crows a bit much don't you think?" Stefan asked him as he was still standing there smirking.

"Just wait till you see what I can do with the fog." Damon grinned at his younger brother.

"When'd you get here?"

"Well, I couldn't miss your first day of school." Damon said as he walked over to Stefan's bookshelf, and took a look at the items upon it.

"Your hairs different. I like it." Damon stated with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"It's been fifteen years Damon." Stefan told Damon.

"Thank God! I couldn't take another day of the 90's. That horrible grunge look? Did not suit you." Damon chuckled at him as he moved from one bookcase to another.

"Remember, Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads." Damon said with a devilish smirk on his face.

"Why are you here?" Stefan demanded.

"I missed my little brother." He answered, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"You hate small towns. It's boring. There's nothing for you to do." He stated a fact to Damon.

"I've managed to keep myself busy." A grinning Damon shot back.

"You know, you left that girl alive tonight? Very clumsy of you." He said trying to get his brother to confess what he was up to.

"Ahh...That could be a problem...For you." Stefan shook his head.

"Why are you here now?" He asked.

"I could ask you the same question. However, I'm fairly certain your answer can be summed up all into one little word." He took a short pause. A smirk now on his face as he carried on. "..Clara."

**(Clara's Pov)**

I watched as the paramedics loaded Vicki into the back of an ambulance on a gurney with Matt getting in after her. I felt the need to comfort him, though it would do no good until he knew Vicki was safe. I sighed watching the ambulance drive off.

"Hey we're gonna go mainline coffee and wait for news." Bonnie said as she approached me.

I nodded feeling the lump in my throat "Igotta take Jeremy home."

"Clara, there is no way I'm psychic. I know that. But whatever I saw, or I think I saw." She took a deep breath in trying to steady herself. "I have this feeling-"

"Bonnie, what?"

"-that it's only the beginning."

My eyes widened slightly. What was that meant to mean? What was beginning?

**(3****rd**** persons Pov)**

"She took my breath away. Clara. She's a dead ringer for Nikolett isn't she?" Damon asked, amused by the brooding look on Stefan's face.

"Is it working, Stefan? Being around her? Being in her world? Does it make you feel alive?" Damon grinned.

"She is not Nikolett." Stefan contradicted.

"Well, let's hope not. We both know how that ended." Damon said as he moved closer to his brother.

"Tell me, when's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?" He said trying to egg his brother on.

"I know what you're doing, Damon. It's not going to work." Stefan replied turning away from him, only to have Damon hit his left shoulder causing Stefan to look back at him once again.

"Yeah? Come on, don't you crave a little?"

"Stop it." Damon shoved the same shoulder again trying to aggravate him even more than he already was.

"Let's do it together. I saw a couple of girls out there." He said hitting the shoulder once more. "Or just- Let's cut to the chase." He hit him on the upside of his head trying to make him angry. "Let's just go straight for Clara." Damon continued.

Stefan pushed his brother backwards away from him. "Stop it!"

"Imagine what her blood tastes like. I can!"

"I said stop!" Stefan shouted, the veins now appearing under his blood red eyes. He charged at Damon growling, which sent them both flying across the room and out through the window, shattering it to pieces. They fell to the ground and landed on the broken glass. Groaning as he got up, Stefan was the only one on the ground and Damon was nowhere in sight.

"I was impressed." Damon's voice came from behind Stefan. "I give it a six. You missed some style, but I was pleasantly surprised with the whole face-" Damon made a strange growling noise to tease him. "- thing it was good." He chuckled.

"Yeah, it's all fun and games, Damon, huh? But wherever you go people die."

"That's a given." He shrugged.

"Not here. I won't allow it."

"Won't allow it? I take that as an invitation."

"Damon, please. After all these years can't we just give it a rest?" Stefan pleaded.

"I promised you an eternity of misery, so I'm just keeping my word." Damon reminded his younger brother.

"Just stay away from Clara." Damon looked taken back but quickly composed himself.

"Where's you ring?" Stefan looked down at his middle finger on his right hand to see his ring missing. "Oh, yeah, the suns coming up in a couple of hours...and, poof, ashes to ashes, dust to dust." He smirked at his brothers face. "Relax. It's right here." He held the ring out for him to take. Which he did. Suddenly Damon gripped Stefan's throat and threw him backwards.

"You should know better than to think your stronger than me. You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people. I wouldn't try it again." He threatened Stefan. They both heard a noise coming from inside the house with their super-hearing.

"I think we woke Zach up. Sorry Zach." He called as he whistled his way into the boarding house leaving Stefan on the ground.

**(Clara's Pov)**

I found Jeremy watching the police as they searched for the animal that attacked Vicki.

"You okay?" I put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him though it didn't seem to work, seeing as he shook it off. "I called Jenna. She's on her way. Those people in uniforms? Last time I checked, they're the police." I joked since he was a minor with a bottle of beer in his hand. Ignoring me he took one last gulp and threw the bottle into the bushes behind us.

"People are gonna stop giving you breaks, Jer. They just don't care anymore. They don't remember that our parents are dead. They've got their own lives to deal with. The rest of the world has moved on...you should try too." I explained, feeling the hot tears swell in my eyes.

"I've seen you in the cemetery writing in your diary. Is that-Is that supposed to be you moving on?" I shook my head as if to say 'no', not able to find my voice.

"Mom and dad wouldn't have wanted this." I said quietly as I rested my head on his shoulder as we waited for Jenna to arrive, we sat in silence.

* * *

><p><strong>Bold=Stefan ~ <strong>_Normal=Clara_

_Dear diary...I couldn't have been more wrong. I thought I could smile and nod my way through it. Pretend like it would all be okay._

_**I had a plan. I wanted to change who I was. Create a life as someone new. Someone without the past.**_

_Without the pain._

_S__**o**__m__**e**__o__**n**__e __**A**__l__**i**__v__**e**_

_But it's not that easy. The bad things stay with you._

_**they follow you, you can't escape them as much as you want to.**_

**(Clara's Pov)**

_All you can do is be ready for the good...so when it comes, you invite it in because you need it...I need it._

I looked up from my dairy and, out my window, Feelings eyes on me .Stefan. He was standing on my front lawn looking back at me. I pushed the blanket off me and set my dairy down as I raced to the front door as fast as my feet could take me. Swinging the door open I came face-to-face with green eyes.

"I know it's late...but I, I needed to know that you were okay." He said sheepishly.

"You know, for months, that's all anyone's wondered about me...if I'll be okay."

"What do you tell them?" he asked, his eyes sincere.

"That I'll be fine." I admitted, ashamed.

"Do you ever mean it?"

"Ask me tomorrow." I can't believe I'm about to do this. "Its warmer in the house. We can talk." I stepped aside next to the door. "Would you like to come in?" Please. Please. Please.

He smiled showing his white teeth. "Yes." He stepped inside, his eyes never leaving mine as he did so. I gently closed the door behind us and made our way to the living room.


	3. The Night of the Comet

**Thank you to everyone that is reading this and also reviewing. I apologise for not updating any sooner. My next chapter should be up by Sunday.**

**-Charlie xoxo :)**

* * *

><p>The Night of the Comet<p>

_For over a century I have live in secret. Until now. I know the risk, but I had no choice. I have to know her._

_Dear diary. This morning is different. There's change. I can sense it. Feel it._

* * *

><p><strong>I'm awake. For the first time in a long time...I feel completely and undeniably wide awake.<strong>

_For once, I don't regret the day before it begins._

**I welcome the day.**

_B_**e**_c_**a**_u_**s**_e _**I **_k_**n**_o_**w...**

**...I will see her again.**

_...I will see him again. For the first time in a long time, I feel good._

* * *

><p>I slung my bag over my shoulder and grabbed my jacket of the end of my bed, today is going to be better...I smiled to myself as I walked out of my bedroom.<p>

"Hold on." A voice behind me called. I turned to see Aunt Jenna...in a dress? I scrunched my eyebrows together.

"Do I look adult? As in, respectfully parental?" She question me. I'm still confused as to why she is in a dress.

"Depends where you are going." I stated smiling.

"Jeremy's parent-teacher conference." She said as she walked in front of the full length mirror to look at herself, while I leant against the wall watching her.

"Hair up or down?" Jenna looked over to me as she pulled her hair up.

"Up, Sexy stewardess." I smirked as she let her hair cascade down around her shoulders. "Down, Boozy housewife."

"Up it is." She rolled her eyes at me as I laughed at her. "You're feisty today." She noted.

"I feel good. Which is rare, so I've decided to go with it. Fly free. Walk on sunshine and all that stuff." I said cheerfully as I stepped behind her to peek into Jeremy's room. Jeremy's room...check, Jeremy...nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Jeremy?" I asked looking over her shoulder into the mirror.

"Oh, he left early. Something about getting to woodshop early to finish a birdhouse?" She shrugged. Jeremy? Early? Woodshop? Birdhouse! Wait...since when did the school have a woodshop?

"There is no woodshop, is there?" She asked seeing my confused face.

"No." The smile on my face was now replaced with a frown.

"Yeah." She sighed, finally realising.

* * *

><p>"Originally discovered nearly five centuries ago..."Mr Tanner explained. I glanced back at Stefan. Leaning on my left arm to do so. He smiled back at me as we gazed into each other's eyes. "...it hasn't been over Mystic Falls in over 145 years. Now, the comet will be its brightest right after dusk during tomorrow's celebration. Are we bothering you? Mr. Salvatore?"<p>

This caused me to look from Stefan and to Mr. Tanner...who was now stood right in front of me glaring. "Miss Stewart?" I shook my head quickly but smirked as the bell rang. Note to self 'be more discrete with longing glances in Tanner's class.'

* * *

><p>"I brought it. I told you." Stefan said as he handed me the leather bound book.<p>

"Wuthering Heights by Ellis Bell." I read aloud, it was one of my favourites. "You know, I can't believe she didn't use her real name."

"Ah, all the Bronte sisters used pseudonyms. It was the time. Female writers weren't very accepted then." He explained to me. Brains and beauty?

"Where did you get it?" I was curious considering it was a first addition.

"Uh...It was passed down through the family."

"Ah."

"I have lots of books. Go ahead. Keep it." This caught me off guard. Was he serious?

"Oh, no, I-" I smiled and looked down at the book in my hands. "-But I would like to read it again. I promise I'll give it back."

"Okay." He laughed.

* * *

><p>"They're keeping her in overnight, but she should be able to come home tomorrow." Matt said glumly as we walked side-by-side outside of the school.<p>

"That's good news."

"Yeah." He didn't look convinced.

"Did you get in touch with your mom?"

"Clara! Matt! Wait up!" A female voice shout from behind us, we turned to see Elena running towards us.

"Hey Lena." I smiled at her.

"Hi." Matt said from beside me.

"Hey guys," She panted trying to catch her breath a little bit. "Mind if I...walk with...you two?" I linked my arm through the brunettes as we continued to walk. "You still giving me a ride to the Grill?" She asked me.

"Sure am. Bonnie and Caroline said they would meet us there." She nodded at me. "So where were we?" I turned to Matt.

"Called and left a message. She's in Virginia Beach with her boyfriend. So we'll see how long it takes her to come rushing home."

"Your mom?" Elena asked quietly and he nodded at her in response.

"Vicki's lucky that she's okay." I said as we walked along the path.

"I know. And now there's talk of some missing campers."

"Did she say what kind of animal it was that attacked her?" Maybe it was a bear or a wolf...something like that.

"She said it was a vampire." Okay...didn't see that one coming. I turned to look back at him as did Elena.

"What? Vampire, as in a bloodsucking creature with fangs?" Elena questioned.

"Yeah, she wakes up last night, mutters, 'vampire', and passes out." He confirmed.

"Okay that's weird." I said, there are no such things as vampires.

"Think she was drunk...So, what's up with you and the new guy?" He suddenly asked looking over at a picnic table with Stefan sitting on it, he had his back turned toward us.

"Matt, the last thing I wanna do is hurt you." I don't want to hurt him more than I already have. He has enough on his plate at the minute.

"You know, I'm actually gonna go back to the hospital. I wanna be there when Vicki wakes up, get the real story about last night."

"Okay." I whispered.

"Well that was awkward." Elena said sarcastically as Matt walked away from the two of us. I looked at her. "Sorry, not the right time, I was just-"

"-trying to cheer me up with a sarcastic comment." I finished for her. I took the arm that was linked with hers and wrapped it around her shoulders. "It's okay, now let's go. Care and Bon are probably wondering where we are." We turned around and I looked over to where Stefan is...was, I could have sworn he was there a minute ago.

* * *

><p>"Well, I was talking to Grams. And she said the comet is a sign of impending doom. The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity." Bonnie was explaining to Elena, Caroline and I as we sat outside the Grill, folding flyers.<p>

"Mm. Yeah, and then you poured Grams another shot and she told you about the aliens." My mouth as well as Elena's and Bonnie's had dropped as we stared at the blond girl. "So then what?" She turned to me after shrugging off her previous comment.

"So then, nothing."

"You and Stefan talked all night. There was no first kiss, or touchy-feely of any kind?" What type of girl does she think I am?

"Nope, we didn't go there."

"Not even a handshake? I mean, Clara, we are your best friends. Okay? You are supposed to share the smut."

"We just talked for hours."

"What is with the blockage? Just jump his bones already." This said caused Elena to choke on her coffee and receive a pat on the back from Bonnie.

"Okay, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, sex." My blond haired friend finished with a smirk plastered to her face.

"Profound." I quipped back having Bonnie and Elena nod in agreement.

"Mmm." Was the only this I got out of Caroline, she does have a fair point though.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie questioned as I started to get up from the table.

"Caroline's right. It is easy. If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it..instead of doing what I started the day saying I was gonna do." I paused for a second taking in my best friends shocked faces. "Come on Elena."

"W-what?" Elena stuttered out.

"Your coming with me." I said sternly.

"Why?" She asked slowly, unsure of what was happening.

"Because I'm your ride home...remember?"

"Oh, um...yea..I remember."

* * *

><p>I slammed the door of my car shut as Elena and I got out at the Salvatore boarding house.<p>

"So, why am I really here with you? You know well that I could have gotten a ride home with Bonnie or Caroline." She knows me too well.

"You are here with me because if this goes wrong I have a backup."

"Okay, that's seems like a good enough answer." We walked up to the front door and I rang the bronze bell that was hanging besides the door, twice...no answer. This is getting us nowhere. Giving up with that idea I knocked on the wooden door a couple of times making it open with a creek.

"And the creepy mansion invites us in." I mutter to Elena as I pushed the door open further.

"Stefan?" I called out as I walked into the house with Elena hot on my tail. "Stefan?" Still no reply.

This house is amazing, everything looks so...vintage. The door creaked from behind us like it did when we first entered the house. Elena heard it to seeing as she turned in step with me. The wind must have blown it open. Suddenly a crow flew through the open doorway causing a gasp to escape my throat. I spun around and came face-to-face with a pair of blue orbs.

"W-we're sorry for barging in. The door was..." I looked back pointing at the door which was..closed? "...open."

"You must be Clara. And you must be Elena if I'm correct? I'm Damon. Stefan's brother." Did he say brother? Wait how does he know our names?

"He didn't tell me he had a brother."

"Well, Stefan's not one to brag." Cocky much? "Please come." He gestured for the three of us to go further into the house. "I'm sure Stefan will be along any second."

"Wow. This is your living room?" Elena gushed from beside me as we both stood in awe.

"Living room, parlor, Sotheby's auction. It's a little kitschy for my taste...I see why my brother's so smitten." I looked at him confused, smitten about what?

"It's about time. For a while there I never thought he'd get over the last one." I shot a sideways glance at Elena to see her mouth 'the last one?' to me.

"Nearly destroyed him." Damon finished as he looked at me waiting for me to reply.

"The last one?" I would have thought he would tell me, I mean I told him about Matt didn't I?

"Yeah. Nikolett . His girlfriend?" Nope never one mentioned a Nikolett. I shook my head at him as if to say 'I had no idea.'

"Oh, you two haven't had the awkward ex's conversation yet."

"Nope." _Yet,_ this conversation is awkward enough.

"Opps. Well, I'm sure it'll come up now." Oh I know it will.

"Or maybe he didn't tell you because he didn't want you to think he was on the rebound. We all know how those relationships end."

"You say it like every relationship is doomed to end." I said unsure of what he was getting at.

"I'm a fatalist." I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze and I felt Elena tense up beside me.

"Hello, Stefan." He was still looking at me as I turned to see Stefan standing at the entrance of the living room.

"Clara, Elena. I didn't know you were coming over." Stefan said in a monotone.

"I know, I should have called-" I began but was cut off by Damon mid sentence.

"Oh. Don't be silly. You're both welcome any time. Aren't they Stefan?" A ringing noise interrupted the brothers staring contest and my focus came onto Elena pulling her phone out of her pocket.

"I'm sorry. I have to take this." She said nervously. "I'll wait in the car for you, Clara...oh and it was nice to meet you, Damon."

"It was a pleasure to meet you to Elena." He replied back to her sweetly.

"See you in school Stefan." He gave her a simple nod as she walked out of the house with her phone pressed to her ear.

"You know. I should break out the family photo albums or some home movie. But I have to warn you he wasn't always such a looker." Damon piped in as soon as she was out the door obviously to embarrass Stefan.

"Thank you for stopping by, Clara. It was nice to see you." I guess that's my cue to leave.

"Yeah, I should probably go. It was nice meeting you, Damon."

"Great meeting you too, Clara." He grasped my hand in his and brought it up to his lips to place a kiss on it. Don't blush. Don't blush Clara. Judging by the smirk on his face I blushed.

"Stefan?..Stefan?" I questioned him as he was blocking the way to the front door. He merely moved out of the way, glaring at his brother. I awkwardly let myself out of the house and got into the car with a waiting Elena.

"What happened to backup?" I asked her in annoyance.

"Sorry, but I had to it was my aunt. She said she was gonna be home late...something about extra hours at work. So is it okay that I hang out at yours till she gets home? I don't want to be in that empty house alone." I feel bad for snapping at her now.

* * *

><p>"Oh..sorry and sure you can, Jenna won't mind, your practically part of the family." She cracked a smile and I knew I was forgiven.<p>

"He's on the rebound and has raging family issues."

"Well, at least it's an ex-girlfriend, wait till you date a guy with mommy issues." Jenna said as Elena and I sat at the table eating ice-cream drenched in chocolate sauce.

"Or cheating issues." Elena mumbled with a mouthful of ice-cream and Jenna nodded understandingly.

"Or amphetamine issues." Just then Jeremy entered the house completely ignoring the three of us and headed up the stairs.

"Jer, Jeremy, where were you?" Jenna called as she chased after him. I leaned over to Elena to whisper in her ear.

"Amphetamine?" she tried to hide her laughter but we were both distracted when we heard Jenna and Jeremy.

"Oh, no, no, no." She shouted and threw the apple in her hand at Jer's back...nice shot.

"Ow. Why? Why did you do that?" He turned to face her annoyed.

"Listen up. Quit ditching class, or you're grounded. No discussion." Wow, I've never seen Jenna act like this before...something must have happened.

"Parental authority. I like it. Sleep tight." Jenna looked pissed as he gave her a thumbs up and walked up the remaining stairs but covered it up when Elena brought her back into reality.

"Whoo! Two points to Jenna!" Elena cheered.

"Come on you." I laughed at her. "I'll drive you home. I'll be back later Jenna."

* * *

><p>"Tonight, night of the comet."<p>

"Would you like a program?" Bonnie and I asked some passersby as we walked through a moderately busy main square as Elena had gone off in search of Caroline for more programs, seeing as we running low on the ones she had given us in the first place.

"He didn't call, huh?" Bonnie questioned, we were back on the subject of Stefan.

"Or text. Then I realized we never even exchanged that stuff. We never got to the texting part." How could we have forgotten that stuff?

"That's an important milestone in any relationship."

"Isn't it? The timing is wrong, anyway."

"When is it ever right?" she pondered

"I'm not ready, Bonnie."

"Who is?" She pressed.

"At least I put myself out there."

She gave me a disbelieving look. "Is that what you're calling it?"

"What do you mean?" I said looking down at my feet nervously.

"All I'm hearing is reasons why you can't."

* * *

><p>Bonnie and I made our way through the newly crowded main square looking for Elena and Caroline. It was now nightfall and the moon and stars were settled in their regular places in the sky. I spotted our two friends out of the corner of my eye and we approached them arm in arm.<p>

"Hey, we got you two candles." Caroline passed an unlit candle to each of us.

"Hi. Thanks." Caroline linked her free arm through Bonnie's seeing as her other was linked with Elena's. I smiled at the three girls before heading over to Matt.

"Hey." I spoke softly.

"Hey." He greeted me in return as his candle now lit mine.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He looked me in the eye and smiled but when I looked into his all I could see was sadness. I turned to the next awaiting person, my eyes set firmly on the two candles.

"Thank you." A familiar voice sounded through my ears, I looked up to see Stefan smiling at me.

"Hi."

"Hi." I looked over my shoulder to see Matt staring intensely at us while Elena, Bonnie, Caroline and Tyler were engrossed in conversation. I walked further away from them as I stared up into the blackness that was the sky. I felt a presence come up behind me, I didn't bother to turn around seeing as I knew who it was.

"You know, that comet it's been travelling across space for thousands of years. All alone." Stefan whispered in my ear.

"Yeah, Bonnie says it's a harbinger of evil." I laughed humorously, it didn't look evil though...the way its turquoise colour outshone the moon, it looked...beautiful.

"I think it's just a ball of snow and ice trapped on a path that it can't escape. And once every 145 years, it gets to come home...I'm sorry about yesterday. I wasn't myself."

"You seem to spend a lot of time apologising." He moved so he was now standing beside me but I continued to stare up at the comet.

"Well, I have a lot to apologise for. Yesterday, that wasn't about you, okay?" I finally gave up not trying to look into his eyes and instead I dove into the two pools of green.

"You didn't tell me you had a brother."

"We're not close. It's complicated." You can say that again.

"Always." Complicated? Tell me about it. Now it's about to get even more complicated. "He told me about your ex. Nikolett?"

"What did he say?" He asked hesitantly.

"That she broke your heart." I stated, silence...never a good answer.

"That was a long time ago." He said after a while.

"When you lose someone, it stays with you. Always reminding you of how easy it is to get hurt." Flashes of that night at the bridge came back to me. My screams mixed with those of my parents were ringing in my ears. I looked up trying to blink away the tears that were threatening to spill. Stefan stepped in front of me and I could see the guilt written all over his face.

"Clara." He started softly.

"It's okay, Stefan. I get it. You have no idea how much I get it. Complicated brother? Check. Complicated ex? Check. Too complicated to even contemplate dating? Double check." Complicated life? Triple check I thought to myself.

"It's okay. We met, and we talked, and it was epic but then the sun came up and reality set in." We stood there for what seem like hours in silence. "So..." I couldn't find the right words to say so instead I blew out the candle and walked away leaving him there.

* * *

><p>We had all decided to move inside to the Grill to get something to drink but my mind was still stuck on the events of earlier.<p>

"Hey, has anyone seen Vicki?" Jeremy asked in a panic as he approached our table.

"You're her stalker. You tell us." Tyler snidely replied. Stalker? What was he on about?

"I can't find her." A worried Jeremy stated ignoring Ty.

"Probably found someone else to party with. Sorry, pill pusher, you've been replaced." Whoa...Pill pusher? What's Jer been up to now?

"What's with the 'Pill pusher'?" I faced Ty seeing as he was to only one who knew what was going on.

He nodded in Jer's direction."Ask him."

"You wanna do this right now?" Oh no this cannot be happening.

"Are you dealing?" I asked incredulously getting straight to the point.

"She's never gonna go for you." Tyler teased Jeremy, which probably isn't the best thing to say at the minute when I have just found out my brothers a drug dealer.

"She already did. Over and over and over again." Vick and Jeremy? Jeremy and Vicki? Together? What else don't I know?

"Yeah, right." Tyler scoffed disbelievingly.

"Okay, you slept with Vicki Donovan?" A shocked Elena said from the left of me, she has always thought of Jer as a younger brother.

"What she means is, Vicki Donovan slept with you?" A wide eyed Caroline put in rudely from across the table.

Tyler looked between Caroline and Jeremy "There's no way."

"And I didn't have to force her into it." Jeremy snapped back causing everyone around the table to stare at Tyler awaiting his reply. _Force?_

"What the hell is he talking about Ty?" Matt questioned, trying to get the truth out about his older sister.

"Nothing, man. Just ignore him. He's a punk."

"You know what? Why don't all of you shut up and help me find my sister." A pissed off Matt suggested.

"We'll check the bathroom." A quiet Bonnie spoke for the first time...I almost forgot she was there.

"I'll check the square." Matt nodded at her before making his way out of the Grill.

Jeremy began after him. "I'll come with you."

"Oh, no, no, no. You are coming with me." I dragged him along with me, stopping at the enterance of the Grill.

"So that's your game now? Dealing?"

"No, I'm not dealing." Not dealing my ass.

"I'm sick of the tough-love speech, Jer. It's clearly having no impact."

"You and Jenna, between the two of you-" No this is my turn to speak, he needed to hear this.

"We could stop. Send you to a therapist where you'll sit and group and be forced to tell some stranger how you let your life fall apart. Or you could talk to me."

"I vote for none of the above." And with that said he walked out of the Grill.

* * *

><p>I ran up the wooden stairs of my house making my way to my room. I have given up trying to look for Jer since he left me at the Grill. I could hear someone rummaging around in Jeremy's room. Burglar! Where's my bat...wait I don't have a bat.<p>

"Jer?" I called out as I slowly made my way towards his room.

"Nope, it's me. The hypocrite patrol." Jenna's voice made its way from his room...Phew no burglar.

"What are you doing?"

"I've become my worst nightmare. The authority figure who has to violate a 15-year-old's privacy." She announced as she continued searching. "Jackpot." She produced a bong from one of Jer's boots. "I see the hiding places haven't gotten any more creative."

"What brought this on."

"Your ass-hat of a history teacher shamed me good yesterday." Jenna exclaimed as I sat on the end of Jeremy's bed. Ohhhh I see, I'm not the only one who thinks he's an ass.

"You got Tannered. Been there." I chuckled.

"Discover the impossible, Miss Sommers.' Got it. Thanks. Like I didn't already know I was screwing up." She was continued to frantically search for pot in his dresser.

"You're not screwing up, Aunt Jenna. I would tell you if you were."

"Yes, I am. You know why? Because I'm not her. She made everything look so easy. You know, high school, marriage, having you...I can't do it. I'm gonna say or do the wrong thing and he's gonna get worse, and it's gonna be my fault." She sighed sitting down in Jer's chair opposite me. "It's impossible."

I knelt down in front of her and looked her in the eyes. "This is just the fear talking. You're a little scared that's all." Sudden realization hit me. "We all are...I have to do something. But are you gonna be okay?" She nodded and gave a grateful smile, seeming lost for words.

* * *

><p>Breath Clara, breath, breathing is good for the body. I waited outside the Salvatore boarding house nervously as I rung the doorbell. The door soon opened followed by a shocked Stefan.<p>

"Hey." I breathed out the long breath I was holding in.

He moved to the side. "Would you like to come in?"

A smile crept onto my lips. "The comets actually this way." I gestured behind me and walked to the low wall of the porch, I waited until he was beside me before I started speaking.

"Sorry for barging in. Especially after earlier." I apologised.

"No, no. I'm glad you're here. The way we left things. I didn't like it."

"So the thing is, I got home tonight planning on doing what I always do. Write in my diary. Like I have been since my mom gave me one when I was 10. It's where I get everything out, everything I'm feeling. It goes in this little book that I hide on the second shelf behind this really hideous ceramic mermaid. But then I realized that I'd just be writing things that I should be telling you." I rambled slightly out of breath.

"What would you write?" Stefan spoke gently. I moved to sit on the wall and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

"I would write: 'Dear diary, today I convinced myself that it's okay to give up. Don't take risks. Stick with the status quo, no drama. Now is just not the time.' But my reasons aren't reasons, they're excuses. All I'm doing is hiding from the truth. And the truth is that...I'm scared, Stefan. I'm scared that if I let myself be happy for even one moment..that the worlds just gonna come crashing down...and I don't know if I can survive that."

He thought for a second before answering. "Do you wanna know what I would write?" He asked looking at me which I nodded in reply to.

"I met a girl. We talked. It was epic." I smiled slightly as he began quoting my words from earlier. "Then the sun came up and reality set in.' Well, this is reality. Right here."

My gaze flickered from his eyes, down to his lips as he moved closer to me, our lips almost touching. He lent forward until his lips found mine in the middle. Our first kiss. His hand rested at the base of my neck as his soft lips moved against mine as I cradled his cheek with the palm of my right hand. The kiss was gentle but passionate at the same time , sending my stomach erupting into a million butterflies. I could feel my pulse racing, a thousand beats a minute as I pulled away leaning my forehead against his as our eyes never left each other's, seeing the happiness reflected in them.

* * *

><p><strong>-Please review :) <strong>


	4. A Night of Convincing

_**Disclaimer- I sadly do not own The Vampire Diaires, all rights go to the CW the only thing that is mine are the orginal characters and plot lines that are not in the orginal story.**_

_**I also want to let you know that our lovely leading lady Clara is now being played by the fabulous Crystal Reed.**_

* * *

><p>Run.<p>

_Faster._

_He's catching up to you Clara._

I fought for breath as I pushed my legs to run faster, tripping over the loose branches and roots on the ground; nipping at my face and exposed ankles, as I ran through the dark, misty woods of Mystic Falls, the only light coming from the full moon hovering above me.

Feeling the blood run down my cheeks from where I've been cut by the many sharp vines and twigs in my way. My vision getting more and more blurred by the minute.

I let out a shriek as I heard the predator closing in on me. The footsteps pounding against the woodland ground around me.

Taking a sharp turn to the left I sprinted behind a reasonably large, old looking tree, leaning against it, trying to catch my breath as it came in jagged pants and gasps. Those footsteps getting louder as he closed in on me, I clasped a hand around my mouth; trying to make my breathing less audible.

"I can hear your heartbeat Sweetheart. There's no hiding from me." The masculine-yet familiar- voice chuckled out through the darkness; making the last breath I had catch in my throat.

I quietly made my way around the tree getting ready to make another run for it. Peering out from behind the giant oak I looked into the clearing, the moon giving me full view of the area, I saw the dark green space I had once ran through currently empty.

Puzzled; I slowly made my way out from my hiding spot. The air around the forest was cold and eerily quiet, showing me my own breath.

"I know what you are Sweetheart...and I'm coming for _you_." The sinister voice whispered in my ear, I felt his hot breath tingle against the back of my neck.

My heart pumping with fear,

As I turned around cautiously,

I was met by his blood red eyes and sharp white teeth.

I let out a piercing scream as the predator lunged for my neck.

_*End of Dream*_

I shot up in my bed as I let out a small scream, my hand automatically flying towards bareness of my neck. I sighed in relief feeling nothing there except the smooth touch of my hand on my skin and tried to calm my erratic breathing.

My eyes began to sweep my room, until they landed on my alarm clock upon my beside table. It should be going off any minute-_beep, beep, beep-..._now. I sighed as I pulled back the tangled sheets off of me and made my way to the shower, groaning at my tired reflection as I passed my mirror.

_It can only get better,_ I thought to myself.

* * *

><p>"Listen I'm not saying don't date the guy, I'm just saying take it slow." Bonnie stated as the two of us climbed out of her car.<p>

"Weren't you the one saying I should go for it in the first place?" I asked confused.

"...Well...yeah but now I'm saying take it slow." She added a fake smile at the end to try and convince me.

"What is with that face Bon-Bon?"

"What face? You are now single for the first time since we started high school; I'm just suggesting that now is the perfect time to play the field." Bonnie rambled on.

"Play the field? Really, Bonnie? _Really_?" I gave her a disbelieving look. "Come on Bonnie, what are you not telling me? We're best friends, you know that you can tell me anything right?" I grabbed her arm, stopping her from walking any further.

"It's stupid okay? I accidentally touched Stefan and I got a really bad feeling." She shrugged. What does she mean 'bad feeling'.

"Is that it? A bad feeling? Bonnie." I pulled her back once more as she tried to move away from me.

"It was '_Bad_' bad." She stressed out.

"Is this that witchy-mojo thing again?" I asked sceptically.

"You know what? I'm just concerned. This is me expressing concern about my best friends' new boyfriend."

"And I love you because of that, but things are starting to seem like they are getting back to normal, before the accident '_normal'_, and Stefan is kinda a big part in that." I reassured her, giving her a light hug before starting to make our way back to the school.

"Morning Clara, Morning Bonnie." A smiling Stefan greeted us.

"Hey, um, I gotta go find Caroline and Elena, I can't get a hold of Care's cell and Elena said she'd meet us here so...I will see you guys later." Bonnie began walking quickly away from us.

"Bonnie wait!" I called desperately after her; Stefan shot me a confused look.

"She doesn't like me very much." He stated.

"She hasn't gotten to know you yet, but when she does, she will love you." I suddenly got an idea. "Are you free tonight?" I asked as he turned to face me.

"Yes." He grinned.

"Perfect! You, me, Bonnie and Elena. Dinner at my house. Eight o'clock. I will cook, they will get to know you and see what a great guy you are." I smiled, proud of myself for the idea.

Stefan nodded then before I could even blink, turned around in time to see and catch an incoming football speeding toward the back of his head. I peered over his shoulder to see Tyler.

_Ass_.

Don't get me wrong, I love Ty like a brother; the two of us had become quite close when Matt and I were dating, but still he can sometime tend to be a bit of a dick hot-head.

I chuckled quietly as Stefan threw the ball back at Tyler, causing him to stumble a few steps backwards from the force of the throw.

Surrounding people gasped at the sight in front of them, before heading into the school for class as the bell rang.

* * *

><p>"Okay that throw...that throw was <em>insane<em>, please tell me you play football!" I exclaimed to Stefan as we walked side by side towards my locker.

"I used to. It was a long time ago." He replied shyly.

"So...try out for the team, God knows they could use you." I shot a grin towards him.

"Yeah, I don't think so." He said slowly, shaking his head.

"Are you saying you don't like football?" I questioned as I opened my locker

"No, I love football. I think it's a great sport. But in this case I don't think football likes me." I shot him a sideways glance as I place the red beanie from my head and my leather jacket inside of the old blue locker before me. "You saw Tyler over there. And we both know how Matt feels."

"They don't know you. To them, you're a mysterious loner guy. Wouldn't hurt to be a part of. Make some friends...and besides Tyler's always like that." I added jokingly on the end.

He looked over at me mockingly "Says the girl who spends her alone times writing in a cemetery."

I rolled my eyes at him "Hey. Come on. There's more to me than just gloomy-graveyard girl. There's a whole other Clara you have yet to meet. She was into everything. Very busy, very...fun."

"Well I look forward to meeting her. And when will that be?" He questioned me with a head tilt.

"Hopefully soon. She seems to be working on it." I referred to myself in the third person with a grin etched onto my face. I slammed my locked closed with a 'thud' and the two of us made our way towards history...with Tanner..._yay._

* * *

><p>"World war II ended in...?" Tanner's voice sounded throughout the stuffy classroom.<p>

"Anyone got anything? Ms. Juan?" The girl who I recognised to be Emma gave a slight shrug causing Mr. Tanner to sigh. "1945." He huffed in annoyance.

"Psst." I leaned over my desk-when Mr Tanner wasn't looking- toward Stefan so he could hear what I was about to say. "FYI, our team sucks. They could use you." I muttered sarcastically to him.

Stefan chuckled slightly "Can't...I'm a loner." He mocked my words from out earlier conversation.

"Miss Stewart? Ahem. Pearl Harbour?" Tanner's smug voice called me out of little conversation.

"Hm. Um..."

"December 7th, 1941." Stefan's voice came from behind me.

"Thank you. _Miss Stewart."_ Tanner's voice rang out sarcastically causing the majority of the class to chuckle.

"Anytime." Stefan nodded towards the prudent history teacher.

"Very well. The fall of the Berlin Wall."

"1989. I'm good with dates, sir."

"Are you?...How good? Keep it to the year." Mr Tanner challenged. "Civil Rights Act."

"1964."

"John F. Kennedy assassination."

"1963"

"Martin Luther King."

"'68."

"Lincoln."

"1865."

"Roe v.`Wade?"

"1973."

"Brown v. Board?"

"1954."

"The Battle of Gettysburg?"

"1863."

"Korean War."

"1950 to 1953."

"Ha! It ended in '52. Ha-ha-ha." Tanner's outburst made me jump slightly out of my seat as I watched between the two of them closely.

"Uh, actually, sir, it was '53." Causing the whole class to look between Tanner's on growing red face and Stefan's patient one.

"Look it up, somebody." Tanner all but growled out. "Quickly!"

The whole class- myself included- fumbled for our phones from our bags or pockets.

"It was 19...53." Elena chuckled out as she looked up from the screen of her phone to Tanner.

This being said caused a round of applause to be given out to Stefan for showing Tanner what it was like to be...well...Tannered.

* * *

><p>"How did you know all of that?" I asked Stefan as we walked of a now fuming Tanner's class.<p>

"Years and years of crossword puzzles. It's a loner thing." He looked at me with a mocking glint in his eyes, which in return get a rolling of mine.

* * *

><p>As the final bell chimed I made my way out of the biology classroom-Bonnie and Elena flanking each of my sides-towards my locker.<p>

"Oh by the way Bonnie, you are coming over for dinner tonight." I stated cheerfully toward the dark brunette on my left as I opened the locker in front of me, grabbing the jacket and beanie from inside. I had spoken to Elena earlier at lunch and decided she would be staying the night as her aunt was out of town.

"I am?" Bonnie questioned me, surprised by the sudden statement.

"Yep! You, me, Elena and Stefan." Her smile faltered at the mention of Stefan's name.

"Are you sure you're not coming to cheer practice now, because you know we are still looking for a few members and besides I drove you to school today so there's no point in just sitting there in the bleachers and doing nothing while the rest of us are cheering. Oh...and tonight's no good." She rambled out quickly.

"Miss Bennett It is quiet unlike you to change the subject." Elena quipped sarcastically from my right side with a smirk plastered to her face.

"Okay one; she has a point, no changing the subject. Please for me, come tonight. It would mean a lot to me if you just gave Stefan a chance and anyway Elena will be there as well." Bonnie's eyes flickered over to Elena's silently, and the taller brunette nodded in agreement.

"And two; I sent a text to Jenna and she dropped off my Beetle earlier today, because I, being the smart cookie I am, figured you would try and convince me to stay for practice and I am most certainly am not staying with a bunch of preppy cheerleaders." I gestured to the group of girls stretching across from us as I walked the two girls to their practice on the fields outside.

"There's no getting out of this Bonnie, you might even enjoy it if you just give it a chance." Elena said from besides me.

Bonnie sighed in annoyance "I really don't have a choice do I." She exclaimed as she stopped in front of Elena and I.

"Nope." The two of us chortled in unison.

"Have either of you seen Caroline? I've texted her like a hundred times." Bonnie asked as she and Elena began to stretch, me sitting down on the ground besides the two of them.

"No I haven't." Elena said looking toward me for an answer to which I shook my head to and shrugged my shoulders telling her I had no idea where Caroline was.

"Seriously where is Caroline?"

"I don't know. It's not like her." Elena stated looking around the field where they were practicing.

"I'll try her again." Bonnie said as she dialled Care's number into her phone and held it against her ear, waiting for an answer.

The sound of music catches mine and Elena's attention as we both glance over Bonnie's shoulders.

"Uh..." A speechless Elena points over to the car heading towards us.

"Oh, my God." We all watch on, shocked as Caroline reaches over to kiss the raven head on the lips. "That must be the mystery guy from the Grill."

"Trust me that's no mystery guy. That would be the infamous Damon _Salvatore._" I rolled my eyes at the two in the car.

"Salvatore? As in Stefan?" Bonnie asked on, shocked.

"His older brother." I answered her. We all got up as Caroline skipped over towards us." I got the other brother. Hope you don't mind." She sang as she went past us.

"Sorry I'm late, girls. I, uh, was busy...Alright; let's start with the double-pike herkie hurdle. What do you say?" She looked toward the group of girl in front of her; I on the other hand looked toward the now smug, smirking Salvatore who merely raised his eyebrows at me and drove off.

"Clara! Finally decided to join the fun side once again?" Caroline called from her spot on the field.

"Sorry Caroline, just dropping these two off." I nodded towards Elena and Bonnie beside me, while Caroline huffed in annoyance.

I turned back towards the two brunettes who were stood silent next to me. "Now, don't get in two much trouble without me, you know how I hate to be missing out on the action." I pointed a threatening finger towards the smirking two.

"Oh we'll try not to." Elena sighed mockingly.

"You better not, but if the two of you will excuse me I have to prepare dinner for tonight-"

"BONNIE! ELENA! PRACTICE, NOW!" A boisterous Caroline cut me off.

"You heard the woman! Off with you." I mocked towards two of my best friends.

"See you later." "Bye." The two of them muttered as they walked toward out bouncing blonde friend.

I chuckled under my breath as I walked towards the car park, then stopping and walking backwards as my eye caught the football practice across the large playing field.

Stefan running across the field and catching the ball a countless number of times, _so he took my advice and tried out for the team,_ a smug voice in my head thought as I walked back toward the old baby blue beetle in the car-park.

* * *

><p>"<em>I know what you are Clara...An I'm com-" <em>

_**BLEEP-BLEEP-BLEEP!**_

A loud ringing shocked me awake from my reoccurring nightmare as I lay in a daze on the couch, only then did I remember the loud ringing coming from the kitchen.

I ran toward the burning smell and grey cloud of smoke coming from the kitchen.

"_Shit!" _There was heaps of smoke coming from the large pot I had left sitting on the cooker.

Rushing toward it, I grabbed a dish-towel and used it to protect my hand from the seething hot handle of the pot, moving it toward the counter and turning the cooker off.

I began flapping the dish-towel at the fire alarm to try and get it to stop its incessant ringing. Lucky after a few minute the ringing fortunately died down and I was left with the burning pot on the counter top.

I slowly lifted the lid, coughing as a puff of greyish smoke puffed out from the pot and into my face, looking inside I winced at the sight, I was sad to say the soup I had planned to cook was no more.

Pausing for a few minutes to figure out what I was going to do, I made a reach for my cell phone I dialled a number I knew off by heart.

"Elena- I need you to do me a really big favour."

"You explain it. Last night I'm watching 9-0. Commercial break comes on and I'm like, _"I bet it's that phone commercial." _ And sure enough it's the guy and the girl with the bench, he flies to Paris and he flies back...They take a picture." The Calvary had arrived in the nick of time; Elena and I were currently listening to Bonnie ramble on while unpacking the food Elena had picked up at the Grill on the way here.

"Oh, come on. That commercial is on a constant loop." Elena explained, chuckling.

"Fine. Well, how about this? Today I'm obsessed with numbers. Three numbers. I keep seeing 8, 14 and 22. How weird is that?"

"Maybe we should play the lottery." Elena mocked Bonnie.

"Ooo, then we could run away together." I chuckled at the two "The Unholy Trio in Spain, I can see it now-the warm beaches, tanning by the pool, shopping with our new found jackpot." I remarked sarcastically.

Elena laughed out loud while Bonnie huffed at us. Thought I think I heard her mutter something along the lines of- _'who says I would share my winnings with you two.'_ As she managed to crack a small smile.

"Have you talked to your Grams?"

"She's just gonna say it's because I'm a witch. I don't wanna be a witch, do you wanna be a witch?" she looked toward the two of us.

"I don't wanna be a witch." Elena mutters as she poured the pasta into the bowl on the counter.

I thought for a moment, "Have you ever thought that what she's saying is ever...true?"

There was a moment of silence where we met each other's eyes, looking down she sighed "You know putting it in a nice bowl isn't fooling anybody." She gestured to the bowl that Elena had just filled.

I chuckled at her obvious change of subject before replaying "It was either this or a can of spaghetti hoops between the four of us."

She looked at me and smirked, "Good choice."

"Okay, serving spoons. Where are the serving spoons?" Elena looked around the kitchen for the spoons.

"Middle drawer on your left." Bonnie pointed to the drawer besides Elena's head, to which she opened and produced the two wooden serving spoons.

"Okay, so you've been in this kitchen like a thousand times."

"Elena, I live here and I didn't even know they were in there." I looked between the two.

Bonnie was about to open her mouth when she was interrupted by the doorbell. "Okay he's here. Don't be nervous. Just be your normal loving self." I turned and walked toward the front door only to hear Elena mutter _'is it me or does she seem nervous?' _and Bonnie whisper strangely enough _'Birthday candles.'_ In reply to Elena.

I opened the door to a smiling Stefan. "Hey." I breathed out "Come in we are just ready."

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>To say the atmosphere was awkward at the table was an understatement. You could cut the tension with a chainsaw. I locked eyes with Elena from across the table who gave me a kick under the table and a look that said <em>'what the hell, say something now.'<em>

"Did Tanner give you a hard time today?" I choked out; Elena has a pretty hard kick.

"Well, he let me on the team, so I must have done something right." He gave a deep chuckle.

"You guys should have seen Stefan today. Tyler threw a ball right at him, and-"

"Yeah, I heard." Bonnie shot out before I could finish my sentence. Elena gave Bonnie a sideways glance.

"Why don't you tell Stefan about your family?" I gave a thankful smile to Elena for helping get Bonnie on side.

"Um, divorced, No mom, live with my dad."

"Bonnie, I think she meant the withes." I looked at Stefan, "Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches. It's really cool."

"Cool isn't the word I'd use."

"Well it's certainly interesting." Stefan piped in, breaking mine and Bonnie's gaze. "I'm not too versed, but I know that there's a history of Celtic Druids...that migrated here in the 1800s."

"My family came by way of Salem."

"Really, Salem witches?"

"Yeah."

Stefan glanced at me and said "I'd say that's pretty cool."

"Really, why?"

"Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity."

"Yeah they are."

I looked over to Elena who raised an eyebrow at me and nodded in Bonnie's direction, we agreed on one thing, _mission accomplished._

The sound of the door bell broke our little conversation as we all looked toward the front door.

"I wonder who that could be."I got up from the table.

"Who else did you invite?" Elena shot me a confused look.

"No one..."

I opened the door to revile Caroline...and Damon...

"_Surprise_." Caroline greeted cheerfully, _what a surprise it is._"Bonnie said you were doing dinner, so we brought dessert."

"Oh.."

"Hope you don't mind." The raven head began Caroline said as Caroline herself made her way into my house.

"what are you doing here?" Stefan's voice rang out next to me.

"Waiting for Clara to invite me in."

"Oh. Yeah, you can-"

"No, no, no. He can't, um...He can't stay." Stefan declared as I shot confused glances between both brothers. "Can you Damon?"

"Uh, get in here." Caroline's obnoxious voice came from behind me.

I looked at Stefan to see if he had any objections. "We were just finishing up."

"It's fine really, come on in."

"You have a beautiful home, Clara."

"Um...thank you." I reply awkwardly as the two brothers stare each other down.

* * *

><p>"I cannot believe Mr. Tanner let you on the team. Uh, Tyler must be seething. But good for you. Go for it." Caroline's bubbly voice echoed throughout the living room as we all sat around on the sofas, coffee's and tea's in hands.<p>

"That's what I always tell him. You have to engage. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it." Damon spoke up from his spot situated next to Caroline.

"Yea Clara was just like that today! Dropped out of the squad –though I suppose it was because you missed summer camp I don't know how you would have ever caught up with the routines." Caroline babbled on obnoxiously.

"We would have worked with her, there're not that hard." Elena said more for my benefit than Caroline's as she glanced over at me.

"I guess we could've put her in the back." Caroline said to no one in particular causing myself, Bonnie and Elena to all look at her- as rude as she was being we all knew this was just Caroline being well...Caroline.

"You know, you don't seem like the cheerleader type, Clara." I looked towards Damon.

I was about to answer only to be cut off by Caroline. "Oh, it's because her parents died. Yeah I mean she's just totally going through a 'blah' phase. She used to be way more fun...and I say that with complete sensitivity." She added quickly onto the end.

"I'm sorry, Clara. I know what it's like to lose both your parents. In face Stefan and I have watched almost every single person we've ever cared about die." Damon said sympathetically.

"We don't need to get into that right now Damon." Stefan's narrow gaze focused on his brother.

"Oh you know, your right Stef, I'm sorry. The last thing I want to do is to bring her up."

The six of us had broken up, and I was on clean up duty.

* * *

><p>"One more." A voice called from behind me.<p>

I turned from the sink to see Damon approaching, glass in hand. "Mh. Thank you." As I reached out to take the glass from him it dropped quickly, only to be caught once again by Damon.

"Nice save." I giggled quietly as I took the glass from him.

"I like you. You know how to laugh and you make Stefan smile which is something I haven't seen in a very long time."

"Earlier did you mean Nikolett?" I asked curiously as I passed a plate over to him to put in the dishwasher.

"Mm-hm"

"If you don't mind me asking, how did she die?"

He looked thoughtful for a second before answering. "In a fire. Tragic fire."

"Recently?"

"It seems like it was yesterday." He said avoiding the question directly.

"What was she like?" I pressed.

"She was beautiful. A lot like you in that department. She was also very complicated and selfish, and at times not very kind but very sexy and seductive, she didn't like to show her soft side that often."

"So which one of you dated her first?" I asked, handing him another plate.

"Nicely deduced. Ask Stefan. I'm sure his answer differs from mine."

"But I'm asking you." I raised an eyebrow at him as he put the last plate in the dishwasher before closing it. I made my way over to the kitchen table and began folding napkins.

"So why is it that you don't do cheerleading anymore?" _He must not know the answer himself _– I concluded in my head seeing as he decided to skip giving me the answer.

"Honestly? It just wasn't for me anymore. I used to love it. It was fun and it made my mom happy. She was a cheerleader to in her day. But things changed and everything is different this year. Everything that mattered doesn't anymore."

"So what is it that you do?" He looked up at me.

"What?" I was slightly confused.

"Well you have to do something in your spare time- and that obviously isn't cooking, seeing as you got all this food from the grill- so what is it that you do?" I looked at him disbelievingly as he smirked.

"H-how did you-you?" I stuttered trying to get past my shock.

He chuckled slightly at my wide-eye expression. "Well for one the burnt pot you were cleaning, I also saw some of the forgotten packaging on the side." He gestured with his head to the brown paper bag which had _'Mystic Grill' _written on the side in green. "Not to mention the distinct smell of burning." He smirked knowing he had caught me out.

"Okay-okay!" I threw a napkin at his face, which he intercepted and folder neatly. "So cooking isn't my forte, drawing and photography however..."

"So you're an artist?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"I like to think so, it runs in the family. My dad taught me and Jeremy, his dad taught him and so on."

"Don't let what Caroline said to you matter."

"What if she's right though? What if I'm going through a 'blah' phase and everything that I've given up starts to matter again?" I rambled starting to doubt myself.

"Maybe it could happen. But it seems a little unrealistic to me." He shrugged smiling slightly.

"You know, I'm sorry." I blurted out after a moment of silence causing he to offer me a confused look.

"About Nikolett, you lost her too." He seemed a little shocked as we stared at each other- did I say something wrong?

"Hey. Need some help?" Bonnie's voice broke our staring contest as she and Elena made her way in.

"Sure, why not?" Damon answered politely, while Elena sent a questioning gaze my way mouthing 'Later' to which I nodded subtly to.

* * *

><p>"You know tonight wasn't so bad. I had fun." I looked up from where I was curled up next to Stefan.<p>

"Mm-that makes one of us." Stefan mumbled slightly as we sat on the couch watching T.V.

"Oh come on. Your brother isn't as bad as you make him out to me." I stated, though my last few words getting quieter as Stefan leaned in- his lips meeting mine in a heated session

I pushed him backwards so I was straddling him- though if we moved an inch or two to the left we would most likely fall towards the hard-wood floor- and met his lips once more. I breathed heavily as I ran my fingers through his hair.

Removing my shirt, to reveal my black lace bra, sighing in pleasure as he ran his hand up and down my back, he then stopped and started to remove his own shirt over his head.

Moving the hair from my eyes I looked down at him once again as he moved his shirt over his head only to let out a piercing scream, as I saw it was not Stefan I was straddling but Damon instead as he smirked up at me. I got up and stumbled backwards screaming

_*End of Dream*_

I gasped as I sat up in bed, a slight groaning alerting me of Elena's presence.

"You okay." She mumbled quietly in her sleepy haze.

"Y-yea just a bad dream."

"Wanna talk 'bout it?" She slurred.

"N-no. I'm just gonna get a drink, you go back to sleep."

"M'okay." Within seconds I could hear her faint snores as I grabbed my glass from the side of my bed and stumbled my way into the bathroom.

These nightmares were going to be the end of me...

_Though what Clara didn't see as she made her way into the bathroom was the large, black feathered crow perched on her windowsill looking into her bedroom._


End file.
